Field
The present application relates to image encoding and image decoding.
Description of the Related Art
In conventional block-based video encoding and decoding methods, such as Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG)2, MPEG4, and H.264/Advanced Video Coding (AVC), the size of a macroblock is fixed to 16×16. In addition, in H.264/AVC, image data may be divided into blocks less than or equal to 8×8 blocks, namely, into 4×4 blocks, in order to achieve more accurate estimation or prediction.